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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Fresh Broccoli Salad with Tomatoes, Black Olives and Feta Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This salad adds lovely color to a Mediterranean-style meal. I served it this evening with lamb kabobs and Greek-style lemon potatoes. The table was a riot of color and the only hue missing was the blue of the Aegean Sea. This is one of the few salads that I prepare year round. The ingredients, while not always local, are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Making the salad ahead of time eases the strain of dinner service, while still guaranteeing that everyone gets a vegetable with their meal. I know that many cooks like to serve this type of salad raw. I understand their rationale, but I prefer the color and crisp-tender bite of perfectly blanched vegetables in salads such as these. This one appeals to me because it is dressed simply with oil and vinegar. While the recipe calls for amply coating the broccoli, I just nap mine and use only enough dressing to flavor the salad. You can prepare the salad several hours before you plan to serve it, but if it sits too long or you use too much dressing it will get goopy. I actually dress mine just before it is served. I have only one caution regarding the preparation of this lovely salad. Keep your broccoli florets bite-size, so folks don't have to use knives on their salads. Many of you do not stock Greek seasoning in your spice cabinets. I know I don't. I've included instructions for making the spice blend in the note at the end of the recipe. If you don't want to bother with it, simply use a bit of oregano or marjoram and everything will be fine. I do hope you'll try this. Here's the recipe.

Directions:
1) To blanch broccoli: Drop into boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes over high heat, or, microwave broccoli in water to cover in a glass heat-proof bowl at HIGH power for 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately rinse broccoli under cold running water to stop cooking action. Drain well and pat dry.
2) Combine blanched broccoli, garlic, tomatoes, green onion, olives, and feta cheese in a deep medium bowl. Add enough vinegar and olive oil or commercial dressing to moisten broccoli mixture well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add Greek seasoning if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3) To serve, line 4 to 6 salad plates with crisp lettuce leaves, or, line a large salad bowl with lettuce leaves. Spoon broccoli mixture onto each salad plate, or into large salad bowl. Garnish each individual salad or large salad bowl with a sprinkle of grated cheeese if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

I just love thoses flavor combinations! I am always happy to hear new salad recipes, because they are quick and filling! BTw, we stopped at both thistledown and also the grateful harvest after lone pine! :)

I love your salad! And I totally agree that you should cook the veggies a little bit! Growing up my grandmother always steamed veggies and through them over spinach with red beans and a boiled egg.Its something that Ive been eating for lunch every day this week! Its perfectly filling and sooooo good for you!

I love the colors in that salad. And I love broccoli. And I LOVE feta. I love... I guess I should just say I love everything about that salad... :) I agree about what you said about raw vs. blanched veggies in this sort of salad. I prefer it this way too! Thank you for sharing :)

That looks delicious. I was invited to lunch on Friday - salmon Wellington and three salads, one of which was broccoli. I love the Greek twist and can see that this would work well all summer, as I would have most ingredients on hand.

I can tell by looking and reading the recipe that this will soon be a favorite at our house. I have a few broccoli salads/dishes that I can do ahead and know they will be deliciously attractive. Yours has a few added levels of tastiness!

This is just lovely, Mary. And I especially like it because so many recipes we see neglect the side dishes that accompany main dishes, and yet that are often one of the greatest factors in whether or not the meal as a whole was successful. Thank you!

This looks so beautiful and vibrant! I can just taste the crunchy vegetables and the feta! I always feel I struggle in the salad department and love that you have so many beautiful salads on your site. Its a treasure trove!

Hi Mary! This sound delish as usual. I have never thought to have broccoli with tomatoes and feta. I just had to come to your blog today because I read this article that reminded me of you. It is all about getting that one perfect bite. I thought you might enjoy it! Cheers! http://1000awesomethings.com/2011/05/23/239-that-bite-with-all-the-toppings-in-it/

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